Tag Archives: Pa.

MERCERSBURG, Pa. — My annual ski trip with my friend Ryan returned to where they all began four years ago – Whitetail. Unlike that time, we were both on skis on this trip. The unseasonably warm weather scuttled our plans to go to either Massanutten or Wintergreen, so we elected to keep it close to home. Whitetail has 935 feet of vertical drop and is just a few hours from the Capital Beltway.

A later than planned start had us arriving at Whitetail just before 11 a.m. Our lift tickets said 11:17 a.m. Despite the late start, we got going right away and didn’t let up. Our first lift ride was the Easy Rider Quad up to the blues. Our first ride down was ■Limelight, a quick straight shot down the mountain. Conditions were decent — some packed powder, but spots that was clearly icy in recent colder weather. Back up the lift, we went down ■Fanciful and enjoyed better conditions and what Ryan said was the best part of the mountain in the top half of the slope. We took a few rides down that, but also checked out ■Snow Dancer.

The blues were getting crowded and we were warmed up, so we decided our next ride up the Express Quad would be our last. Unfortunately, there was a lift malfunction and we got stuck for 10-15 minutes in line. A number of people decided not to wait it out and hiked up to the Jib Junction Double Lift. We waited it out and thankfully, it wasn’t much longer. Once up the lift again, we head down ■Angel Drop into ♦Drop In to get the black diamonds. One there we skied down ♦Exhibition and ♦Far Side with the agreement that Far Side was the superior slope. The conditions on Far Side were the best overall on the mountain. After 4 or 5 runs, we made our way over to the lodge for some lunch; unfortunately I missed the turn for Home Run and wound up slogging along ■Fallmount which is flat for the bottom portion to get back to the lodge. Ryan got something from Trailside Grill while I satisfied a nachos craving (but for $10+?). We sat outside in sunshine and temperatures well above 40°; I was overdressed. Had I thought to put my lift ticket on my snow pants I might have stashed my parka in a locker.

After a break of less than 45 minutes, we were headed back up the top via the Express Quad and over to the blacks. We just kept going down Far Side over and over again with a run or two down Exhibition and one run down ♦♦Bold Decision which was empty. The dearth of other skiers or snowboarders was immediately apparent once the slope started down Bold Decision. We made it down, but saw no reason to go again. So, it was back to Far Side and tried a little “glade” skiing. That was ultimately a waste of time, but hey we tried it. We took about five more runs total down Far Side about three of which were our “last run.”

Moving back over to center of the mountain to end the day, we took ■Ridge Runner down to ■Home Run and felt so good we decided to head back up the mountain for one more ride down Fanciful. Then we did it again. Finally, with the sun setting and conditions deteriorating, we called it a day around 5:20. Over all, we were on the mountain for over five of the six hours with just the limited down for lunch. The warm weather may not provide the finest quality snow, but it certainly provided quantity and overall the conditions held up pretty well.

There is also a winter storm warning, in particular the D.C. region. From Capital Weather Gang – Winter storm watch issued for much of D.C. area Sunday into Monday:

The onset of precipitation across the area is most likely between mid-morning and noon with the precipitation probably starting as snow but changing to sleet and or freezing rain by late afternoon (in most spots)…

…Snow is likely for the commute to FedEx field (and for the Ravens game in Baltimore) with the snow changing to sleet and freezing rain during the game. Sleet or freezing rain is likely for the drive home.

The storm will also hit Philadelphia and the New York area, though seemingly not as hard around game time. Accuweather says:

While a large amount of snow is not expected, the city could receive its first inch or two of snow of the season, joining some of the northern and western suburbs from Friday night’s storm.

Warmer air is forecast to move in during the storm Sunday evening through Monday, causing a changeover to a wintry mix, then rain from the coast to inland areas.

In short, travel on the I-95 corridor could be pretty tough on Sunday, though most major Northeast Corridor traffic bypasses Philadelphia via the New Jersey Turnpike. On the other hand, MetLife Stadium is directly adjacent to the Turnpike. FedEx Field can be bypassed by using the Baltimore-Washington Parkway (unless you are a truck) and the opposite side of the Capital Beltway. M&T Bank Stadium is right near the terminus of the B/W Parkway, but the Harbor Tunnel Thruway provides a bypass too.

There is also a New England Patriots vs. Cleveland Browns game in Foxborough, but the forecast there is sunny and 34°.

I don’t know how much these games impact I-95 in general (an interesting question), but whatever that is could be magnified this Sunday.

Officials break ground on major I-95/Turnpike link – PhillyBurbs.comThis week, a ceremonial groundbreaking was held for Stage 1 of the interchange that will connect Interstate 95 with the Pennsylvania Turnpike (Interstate 276) in Eastern Pennsylvania. When completed (projected to be 2018) I-95 will be rerouted onto the eastern end of the Pa. Turnpike to the New Jersey Turnpike which will finally make it continuous from Miami, Fla. to Houlton, Maine.

The interchange (which should have been built decades ago, regardless of the decision to cancel the original I-95 alignment between Philadelphia in New York in Central New Jerseynycroads.com) was mandated by Congress in 1982. The footdragging by the Pa. Turnpike Commission has been incredible. While I understand their disappointment in having to build this because Jersey didn’t build their 30 miles of I-95, the interchange should have been there period.

It took almost four decades to build what now is known as the Great Allegheny Passage. It is a remarkable 150-mile trail that connects with the 184.5-mile C&O Canal Towpath in Cumberland, Md., and makes possible a bicycling trip between Pittsburgh and Washington, DC. The GAP officially opens tomorrow — Saturday, June 15.

Building the GAP seemed like an insurmountable challenge when the project was conceived, from finding the right name for the trail to finding funding to reconstruct the Big Savage Tunnel, the longest tunnel on the trail. Linda McKenna Boxx, president of the Allegheny Trail Alliance, a coalition of rail-trail organizations that built and maintains the trail, told the PG’s Larry Walsh, “Getting the [$12.5 million] for the Big Savage Tunnel … was the absolute biggest challenge. It came close to not happening.”

But it did get done, thanks to audacious people such as Linda Boxx and Jack Paulik, who came out of retirement to direct construction through the Steel Valley.

DePasquale said he was especially interested in why an entity was created to broker the deal, in which wealthy foreign investors would lend the turnpike $200 million in exchange for possible permanent residence in the United States.

DePasquale said his office was legally bound to wait until a transaction is completed before launching an audit, so “it may be several months or longer” before he formally investigates the turnpike plan.

“I am going to follow this situation carefully,” DePasquale said. “It raises some alarms. I’m not taking a position that it’s wrong yet. . . . We’ll wait till the issue is ripe for an audit.”

Yup, it is all weird.

I understand Pennsylvania being unhappy about having to build this connection since it was New Jersey that cancelled a nearly 30 mile stretch of I-95, but the Pennsylvania Turnpike should have built a connection with I-95 years ago anyway. The foot dragging has been going on for about 30 years.

Also, weren’t toll authorities designed to avoid this kind of nonsense? Perhaps raising federal and state gas taxes by a few cents might not be a bad idea either. Heaven forbid we pay several more cents per gallon (we’re paying a whopping 18.3¢ a gallon (over $3.60 where I live) right now for 21st century infrastructure.

PITTSBURGH — When I was about 7 years old, I determined that adding french fries to the top of a hamburger greatly enhanced that experience and I’ve been doing it ever since. Once, when I was a student at Penn State Hazleton, I had some McDonald’s with me at the beginning of class and I placed some fries on my double-cheeseburger. A classmate walked over and asked if I was from Pittsburgh. I informed him that I was not and while disappointed, he told me that’s how they eat burgers over there. I later learned that the originator of it was Primanti Bros., so one of my goals of the recent trip was to finally try a Primanti Bros.sammich.

We visited the Market Square location not far from PNC Park. Post-game on a Saturday evening, the place was packed and since it was so nice we decided to get take out and sit in the square. The wait was long — about 45 minutes in total. Thankfully, they have a bar and The Maryland Bureau Chief Emeritus and I ordered some whiskey and enjoyed it responsibly while we waited. Since we were not real hungry after ballpark food, my wife and I decided to split a roast beef sandwich.

In addition to fries, Primanti’s slams cole slaw onto the sammich and I’m using that verb accurately. We opted not to add a fried egg which is offered for an additional charge. The thick white bread is comprised under the weight of the tomato (I took mine off and mourned that it wasn’t used for Heinz ketchup), cole slaw, fries and beef. I’m no fan of cole slaw either, but I left it on for several bites. The fresh cut fries seemed a bit limp as well, something I previously observed ten years earlier at another Pittsburgh landmark, the “Original Hot Dog Shop” which I may go to the next time I’m out there. Overall, we both like the sammich and would go again, though probably not waiting 45 minutes for one.